Literary Chinese
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Literary Chinese
proper noun
- The written Chinese language used from the end of the Han Dynasty (220 C.E.) to the early 20th century. In Chinese, 文言 (wényán, “literary writing”).
- The written Chinese language used from the Zhou Dynasty (1045 B.C.E.) (especially the Spring and Autumn Period), through to the end of the Han Dynasty (220 C.E.). In Chinese, 古文 (gǔwén, “Ancient Writing”). The language of many classics of Chinese literature.
- Written Chinese for this entire period, without distinction.
Similar: Classical Chinese
Thesaurus
proper noun
Similar: Classical Chinese
Talk about this word "Literary Chinese." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/literary%20chinese. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. Literary Chinese. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/literary%20chinese "Literary Chinese." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/literary%20chinese.Cite this
@misc{literary_chinese_2026,
title = {Literary Chinese},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/literary%20chinese},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
